Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kampala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Kampala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $674 in Kampala.

Cebu $934
Kampala $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,045 in Kampala.

Cebu $1,415
Kampala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,417 in Kampala.

Cebu $1,896
Kampala $1,417

Living in Cebu is roughly 39% more expensive than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Kampala 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

19.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

-6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

-44.73%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

-1.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.38 UGX 1,543

305.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.26 UGX 1,044

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.21 UGX 4,910

47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.92 UGX 7,748

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.76 UGX 3,069

156.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.95 UGX 3,832

50.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.33 UGX 5,360

-23.31%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.64 UGX 6,631

25.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

124.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

58.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.19 UGX 8,869

51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.24 UGX 5,033

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.30 UGX 5,253

81.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.22 UGX 4,928

26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.21 UGX 4,912

95.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.25 UGX 5,061

59.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.78 UGX 3,168

47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.50 UGX 2,020

34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.10 UGX 4,458

19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.95 UGX 7,880

-11.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.72 UGX 2,913

-65.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

-70.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.51 UGX 2,072

45.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.32 UGX 1,297

-34.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

35.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.45 UGX 5,866

-8.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

190.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

160.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 ₱7,563

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

69.97%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.45 ₱907

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

-20.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

-42.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

-27.59%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$273 ₱17.1K

$254 UGX 1.0M

7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

250.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

91.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

139.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$495 UGX 2.0M

2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$172 UGX 695.0K

80.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

0.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$301 UGX 1.2M

105.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

140.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$983 UGX 4.0M

89.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$176 UGX 712.8K

93.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.75

-65.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Kampala

$172 24.9% 44.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Kampala

$149 21.6% 29.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Kampala

$118 17.1% 27.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Kampala

$46 6.7% 51.1% $48

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kampala

$86 12.4% 2.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Kampala

$72 10.4% 65.1% $28

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Kampala

$48 6.9% 210% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $495 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 94% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Kampala. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $149, with Kampala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,537 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kampala 10,150 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kampala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cebu vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $495 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $674 in Kampala – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kampala runs roughly 238% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kampala gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kampala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Kampala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.